Don’t hate Karen Elson because she’s beautiful. Dislike her because she’s also married to a rock star (The White Stripes front man Jack White); has two cute kids (Scarlett, three, and Henry, two); runs a vintage clothing store near her home in Nashville in her spare time, and can actually carry a tune. The model, 31, who’s received critical praise for her voice as lead singer of cabaret troupe The Citizens Brand, will release her first solo effort, “The Ghost Who Walks,” in May. Tonight, the flame-haired Brit will give a preview of the album during her gig at New York City’s Le Poisson Rouge. WWD caught up with Elson from her home in Music City while she was packing for her big trip.

Karen Elson: I was definitely influenced by living in Nashville and listened to a lot of Hank Williams and Patsy Cline, so there are a lot of mournful songs on there. There are also a lot of murder ballads on there, which is quite morbid. The last song on my record is called “Mouths to Feed,” which was inspired by the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, about a woman who’s a farmer, who’s been working her hands to the bone and all she has left is dust.

WWD: Sounds uplifting. Why such dark subject matter?

K.E.: I’ve felt sadness and all kinds of things in my life. [But] if I said, “Woe is me,” I think people would laugh at me and say, “Shut up.” So that was always the catalyst for my record — trying to tap into the life experiences I’ve had but not necessarily using me as the main figure, using characters and whatnot instead.

WWD: Your husband produced your album. Did you have any reservations about working with your spouse?

K.E.: Originally I was very hesitant to play him any of my songs because I respect the boundaries of our relationship — he’s not on set when I’m doing a photo shoot. And Jack is this brilliant, unbelievably talented man so there was a lot of fear of like, “What if I play him this song and he looks at me and says ‘That’s really good honey. Stick to the day job.’” But once I got over that, he was beyond supportive.

WWD: Are you worried your modeling career will prevent your album from being taken seriously?

K.E.: I was unbearably concerned and insecure about that, and that’s what has taken me so long to put a record out. Model-slash-anything is just such a [stigma], which is a shame because I know so many ridiculously talented models. It’s just the connotation of the word ‘model.’ If you said waitress-slash-singer or secretary-slash-singer, it’s all fine. [But] this album wasn’t some sort of vanity project where I said, “Hey, Jack, let’s make a record so I can be a singer now.” I worked incredibly hard at making it legitimate.

WWD: How does performing on stage compare to walking down a runway?

K.E.: I’m petrified [doing both]. On the runway, I just feel so awkward. I feel like I’m the clumsiest model. I see all these beautiful 6-foot-tall amazons and 5-foot-8 me who still can’t even walk in heels, and as much as I try, I usually end up tripping up somewhere. [But] the payoff with singing is that you’re singing your songs. The payoff with the runway, maybe there isn’t one. I’m just crossing my fingers that I’m not going to fall.

WWD: You are certainly not the first model who’s taken up with a musician. Why do you think this is such a common pairing?

K.E.: The two worlds cross paths. Ever since I’ve been a model, I’ve always been surrounded by musicians, though I don’t know what that says about musicians. I guess there just is that model-musician cliché, and Jack and I fell for it. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a contrived thing. It just happened. What can I say?

For pre-fall, Vivetta Ponti reimagined the characters of an antique tapestry through a punkish filter. The result was a collection that looked a tad less sugar-coated compared to previous seasons. While the brand’s signature feminine ad whimsical iconography, including cute animals and butterflies, were still there, a range of tartan pieces, including a coat and a plissé skirt showing floral inserts, as well as maxi-printed puffers, exuded a cool, urban vibe, writes @aleturra85.
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After dominating in the makeup and lingerie categories, not to mention her Fenty line with Puma, Rihanna is getting ready for her next act in fashion.
According to sources, the superstar has been in secret talks with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton to launch a luxury fashion house under her name. The eponymous collection is said to cover everything from ready-to-wear to leather goods and accessories and is expected to launch later this year in tandem with Rihanna’s ninth studio album.
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Victoria Beckham has developed a power-dressing formula of her own that revolves around elegant tailoring, cozy knits and feminine yet easy-to-throw-on midi dresses — and she keeps returning to it, as it clearly seems to appeal to her growing customer base of women who subscribe to her brand of modern femininity and glamorous yet no-fuss clothing. “Ultimately it does always have to come back to the customer and what she wants,” Beckham told WWD while presenting her pre-fall 2019 collection. “When we do want to do something different, it is about doing it in a way that she can understand, taking her by the hand and showing her how to put the pieces together so that she can try new things and challenge herself.” Report: @natalietheodosi .
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